Barney Continues, Episode One
by cheezburgerlover
Summary: The next installment of Barney Calhoun's adventure. Upon finding out about the doomed Citadel, Barney must evacuate as many people as possible before City 17 goes up in smoke. New enemies and new allies emerge. Rated T for gore and language.
1. A New Breed of Terror

_Geez, it's about time I get around to this. I've been spending the past month planning this story out in my head and trying to get it to be compatible with the game's storyline. Now, Barney continues! It'd help to read Barney Begins first, but I'll try to make it newcomer friendly. This takes place right before Dog digs Gordon out of the rubble at the beginning of Episode One._

The explosion at the crown of the Citadel had long since dissipated. The sadness that clouded my heart had not. I walked to Dr. Kleiner's lab with a slouch, my gun being held lazily with one hand.

"Hey, that ain't good for your posture." The medic I was traveling with looked at me with worry.

"What would you know about posture?" I snapped back at him. DOG, walking on the other side of me, glanced at me with concern.

"Well, I'm a medic..."

"Oh, really? I thought all you needed to be a medic was a jacket full of medkits and a red cross stitched over it."

"Look, Barney, you near had a hole cut clean through you. I wouldn't push myself too hard."

"I'll walk how I want." I clenched my jaw and kept walking.

"Why you so depressed anyway?"

"Only because Eli, Gordon, and Alyx have all been incinerated up...up there!" I pointed to the top of the citadel.

"Oh." The medic went silent.

We needed to get to Dr. Kleiner's lab as soon as we could. The wall of the citadel was creeping steadily outward like a glacier, ever extending the borders of the Citadel. Soon enough, it would reach the lab and crush it.

–

All of a sudden, DOG stiffened. Upon seeing him, I did the same. I grasped my weapon with two hands and stopped walking. I scanned the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.

"What's wrong, boy?" DOG whimpered softly and ran back the way we came.

"The hell is he going?" The medic clutched his SMG nervously.

"I don't know. But it looks like we have one less companion." I watched DOG disappear around a corner. "We need to hurry up." I started walking briskly again. "If we make it in time, we might be able to save Dr. Kleiner."

–

We finally turned onto the street where Dr. Kleiner's lab was situated.

"Huh. No Combine. I wonder where they all went." The medic looked around. Indeed, we had encountered nothing on the way to the lab. No rebels to be found, even.

We turned into an alley off of the street, where a fire escape would lead us to the top of the building it was attached to. From there, it was just a short walk into the lab. There was just one problem. The fire escape had been torn off the side of the building and lay in a heap in the alley. Bullet holes covered the wall it had been affixed to.

"Oh, no. No no no." I craned my neck to see the top of the building.

"What went on here?" The medic asked.

"I don't know, but we need to get into the lab and see what's going-"

"What the hell was that?"

"What the hell was what?"

"That pile of fire escape just moved."

"What are you talking about? There's nothing-" The pile of bent metal indeed shifted slightly.

"What's under there?"

Suddenly, a deafening scream rang out. Out of the debris came a creature so strange, I instinctively opened fire. With lighting quickness, it jumped at my gun and grabbed it right out of my hands.

"No!" I punched the creature in the face as the medic shot it further with his SMG. The bullets did little to suppress the thing. To my horror, it began to bend my AR2. I pulled out my pistol and shot it further. It screamed again, dropped my useless AR2, and ran out of the alley.

"What was that?" The medic leaned against the building.

"I don't know." From what I had observed, the creatures stood an inch or so shorter than me. It wasn't a zombie, as there was no headcrab over it. In its mouth, it appeared to be holding a limb that I couldn't identify. There were spots on its skin where the flesh and muscle was falling away.

"I'm going after it." I jogged out of the alley.

"You're what? Hold on, Barney!" The medic hesitated for a moment. "You hardly have any bullets!"

"I have enough!" I scanned the street for any signs of the creature. The cellar door to the building which contained Dr. Kleiner's lab had been torn apart. The creature must have ripped the Combine lock from the door and broken through. I gulped. It was no wonder it was able to bend my AR2.

"I might need your help!" I called the medic from the alley. He cautiously walked out. "He went down there." I pointed to the cellar and took the first step down. I pulled a flashlight from my jacket, one that I had when I took my suit from a metrocop what seemed like months ago.

"Where the hell did he go?" I pointed my flashlight around the dark basement, pistol in my other hand. My pistol had half a clip left and I was pretty sure I had used my last full clip in the ambush.

"Whatever it was, I don't wanna see it again. Did you see what it was carrying in its mouth? It looked like a freakin' arm!" The medic said.

"Stay quiet. I think I hear something."

And I did hear something. Heavy, irregular breathing. I just couldn't find the source. I swept my flashlight all around me until I felt something sharp scrape the top of my head. There it was, clinging to the ceiling. As soon as I saw it, it dropped down on me, bringing me to the floor. It stank something awful. I heard the medic screaming, and then he ran up the stairs into the street again.

It began to rip off its own arms. I lay there, petrified. I couldn't move. Long, bloody, sharp claws began to slide out of its torso. Its arms hung onto it with a strand of muscle.

For a split second, I wasn't hypnotized. I grabbed my pistol as fast as I could and fired at the thing until I rendered my pistol useless. The thing, merely enraged, raised its claws. It seemed to laugh as it slowly lowered them towards my chest, through my shirt When the claws came in contact with my skin, I winced. It brought its claws across my chest, letting blood flow out of my stomach. It laughed hysterically. I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed its head with my own two hands, not ready to die so soon. I twisted its head until I heard a satisfying "CRACK". It dropped dead on top of me, the rotting flesh scent giving me terrible nausea.

I shoved it off of me and got up after a bit of struggling. I coughed. Wet liquid spurted from my mouth. I needed to find that medic. I staggered up the stairs and out of the basement, sweeping the street, searching for the medic. I found him, dead, leaning against the side of the building. His neck had been slit so deeply that he was halfway decapitated.

I saw another thing, similar to the thing I had fought in the basement, walking slowly down the street. Another one jumped down from a rooftop while a three more came crashing from a second story window. And they were all heading for me.

--

I tore open the medic's jacket. Medical vials were clipped to the inside. I unclipped a few and poured them all over my stomach. The wound stopped bleeding, but did not close.

"Come on, come on!" I put the medic's jacket over my body and took his SMG. The creatures began running towards me. One was carrying a lead pipe. He threw it at me and then charged. The pipe slammed into the building behind me. I shot the creature in the feet. As it fell over, I kicked its head repeatedly. It lay still, at least for the time being.

"Don't come any closer!" I pointed the SMG at the creatures. They behaved like any other rabid zombie and didn't listen. They walked closer.

"No!" I shot at one, but of course it did nothing.

But off in the distance, I heard yelling and a motor. Far down the street was a blue car rushing my way. I saw a gun light up from the passenger seat.

The creatures realized that if they delayed further, they'd be run over. They started for me at the same time.

I transferred my SMG to my left hand and picked up the lead pipe that had been hurled at me earlier with my right hand. As the first creature reached me, I slammed it in the face. It screamed and fell down. I smacked another down and shot at both grounded creatures.

I dropped the pipe and the gun as I began to get faint. The final thing ran at me. It was about to take its final leap when the car finally barreled onto the scene and brutally ran over it. The car kept driving, even with the creature pinned under its front bumper. As the creature was being dragged, it left a sickening trail of blood behind the car.

Finally, the vehicle came to a stop by running into a tree. Two men hopped out of the car. One was armed with a wrench and another with an AR2. The man with the AR2 ran towards me.

"You need help?" He asked. I coughed and nodded. He looked back to his friend and yelled, "Louie! You got any medkits in the back?"

Louie was beating away at the pinned creature with his wrench.

He kept swinging as he answered, "Yeah!"

"Well, can you get one out? That guy isn't going anywhere!" Louie stopped the beating and walked to the rear of the car. He stuck his wrench between the trunk's lid and the rear bumper. He pried away until the trunk opened.

Louie took out two medical kits and threw them to the person standing over me. He opened one and poured its contents over my wounds. I regained my strength and stood up.

"What the hell is-what was that?"

"Oh, the Minuteman? We call 'em Minutemen. It's cause you think you killed them, and there they are the next minute screamin' at you again. I doubt any of these guys are still dead. We need to get going. You can sit in the back."

We walked back to the car. "Where's Dr. Kleiner?"

"Oh, Alyx handed him over to a rebel base. He's in good hands." I breathed a tremendous sigh of relief.

"What, you thought he was dead?"

"Yes!"

"Well, he isn't. He's being guarded 24/7, with Eli too."

"Eli?"

"Don't tell me you thought he was dead too!"

"Well..."

"Ah, I see why. Being captured and all. Well, that Mossman lady got him out of there. We're still not sure about Alyx or Gordon though. We're arranging some search teams-oh, no."

"What?"

"That Minuteman just twitched. We need to get out now. Come on!" I hurried back to the car as Louie was delivering his final blows to the Minuteman pinned under the car. He pushed the car back from the tree. The other man ran to the front of the car as well and pushed.

"Give us a hand?" Louie called. I hurried next to him and pushed too. The car slowly rolled back until the Minuteman slumped to the ground.

"Okay, hop in." Louie gestured to the back seat, which was completely ruined. Stuffing was coming out of the cushions and the upholstery was torn. I crawled into the back as Louie took the driver's seat. The other man claimed shotgun.

Louie threw the car into reverse, then put it into drive, steered past the tree, and rushed down the road.

"So what's your name?" I yelled over the wind rushing through the windowless car.

"Howard! I know you, though, you're Barney!"

"Yeah!"

Howard was a very average sized balding man. His hair was graying and wrinkles were starting to form around his eyes and mouth. He was not the kind of person that I would expect to be very good at fighting. Then again, if you were human, you were handed a gun, given basic training, armor, and put out into the city.

Louie was a giant. He had to keep his head down to prevent hitting the roof of the car. His shoulders were very broad while his waist was relatively small, giving his torso the shape of a downward-pointing triangle. He held his wrench in his right hand while steering with both.

"This car has no brakes, so we need to crash into stuff to stop it!" Howard yelled.

"I'm surprised you found a car that works at all!"

"I found this clunker in a parking garage! It was the only one with wheels! All I did was tune up the engine and transmission in some abandoned APC maintenance place!"

--

We drove on in silence. Because the car had no brakes, Louie could not slow down to turn corners. Every turn made the tires squeal and the car skid. I plugged my nose every time he turned, as burning rubber was possibly the worst smell in the world to me.

As the car neared what Howard described as their base, two Combine smashed the glass of a cafe and ran out. Howard leaned out of the car and shot each soldier once in the head with an AR2. Both were killed instantly.

Howard looked back and laughed at my stunned expression. "I may have been an auto mechanic, but riflery was my hobby!" Howard laughed again heartily as the car neared the base. Two rebels standing on the roof of the building gave the car a thumbs up.

"Brace yourself!" Louie yelled. He released the gas pedal and the car ran into the building. Howard and Louie leaped out of the vehicle. I followed with shaky legs.

"Well, here we are!" Howard gestured to the building. "Nestled on the edge of the Minuteman Jungle, and right on the threshold of death and destruction, with scenic views of destruction and death, Point Charlie!"

_Howard's physical description was inspired by the man sitting next to me in the lobby of my community cemter. Just thought you'd want to know._


	2. Good To Be Back

_**I was very surprised with myself when I managed to get this thing done. It's been sitting on my hard drive for months, collecting digital dust. I finally decided to plop myself down in my school's library and finish it. Here you go. No need to thank me. (Though it's certainly a nice gesture)**_

Point Charlie, as Howard had called it, was a modest building which blended right in with the surrounding townhomes. It had obviously been touched up to be more suited for combat situations. The windows were barred and the rebels guarding the door were protected by a sturdy wall of sandbags coated with a thin layer of cement.

"Step right in." Louie opened the front door and I stepped inside. Point Charlie was, in fact, a townhome.

"We've got nothing here above ground. We operate in the basement in case the Combine discover the concept of a drive-by shooting." Howard said. He led me through the dusty living room and into the decrepit kitchen. Next to the refrigerator was a small metal trapdoor in the ground. Louie popped the door open. A steep set of stairs led into a well lit basement. I carefully proceeded down into a hallway made of stone. Little stone "room-ettes" were situated on either side.

"Third room on the right." Howard said. I stepped into the room and saw a map of City 17 on the wall parallel to the doorway. On the right was a desk with a HAM radio as well as a few speakers and microphones.

"Have a seat, Barney." Howard said. A few metal chairs were strewn in the center. I put one upright and sat down. "Okay, let's get you up to speed here. Louie, get Dr. Kleiner on the radio."

Louie pulled up a chair and began to carefully browse frequencies while repeating, "Point Charlie to Point Gamma. Please come in."

"So, Barney, we're in Point Charlie right now. A little southwest of here, we have Point Baker set up in a library and Point Adam north of us. A Point is pretty much a discrete rebel outpost which is hidden from the Combine. We have to be able to pack up and leave at the first sign of danger."

"How many people do you have here?" I asked.

"You've seen all of them. The two on the roof, Griggs and Sheckley, the two at the door, Gibson and Donny, and us."

"Six?" I frowned.

"Hey, I said we're an outpost, not a base."

One of the speakers next to the HAM radio suddenly crackled to life. "This is Point Gamma. What do you need?"

"Can you put the Doc on the line?" Howard asked. "We found Barney crawling around near his lab."

"One second." The voice on the other end replied. After a few moments, a familiar voice came onto the speaker.

"Barney? Is that you?"

"Doc! Thank God! You OK?"

"Yes Barney, I'm fine."

"You know where Eli is, right?"

"I do, he is right next to me!" I let out a huge sigh of relief. "Now listen, Barney, there is a lot I must explain to you. DOG found Alyx and Gordon. They have made a sojourn into the core of the Citadel in order to stabilize what you might call its "heart". After Gordon destroyed the dark fusion reactor at the top of the Citadel, the heart became incredibly unstable. If the core remains undisturbed, the heart will collapse upon itself and create a reaction which will create an explosion of unthinkable proportions!"

The momentary ease of my mind which had resulted from the scientist's safety disappeared. "Alyx and Gordon went back inside the Citadel? What if they don't make it to the core in time?"

"That is precisely why I must speak with you. You must organize the rebels to evacuate the city. I am spreading the word through the network Dr. Breen used for his Breencasts. If you must spread a message, I am the person to do it through. Beyond that, I cannot help you."

I remained silent.

"Ah, yes, Barney...there is one other thing I must tell you. The mutated Stalkers-I believe they have been dubbed Minutemen, will pose perhaps a greater threat to you than possibly even the Combine."

"Oh, great. Why's that?"

"The three highest levels of the Citadel were destroyed by the reactor explosion. Dr. Breen's private office was, of course, on the highest level. Beneath him was a lab where the Combine experimented with viruses native to this area of the Earth. I believe they were attempting to find a medicine to make themselves immune to Earth's viruses. In the explosion, foreign matter stored in the dark fusion reactor mixed with the viruses in the lab and created a hybrid virus. The level below the labs was where most of the Stalkers were stored."

I saw where this was going. "So the Minutemen are Stalkers infected with that hybrid virus?"

"Precisely. The explosion literally blew the infected Stalkers straight into the city. This virus causes the Stalker to abandon what logic it has left and turn feral. It also causes the bone and muscle to be practically indestructible. If any bone, muscle, or tissue is damaged, it would regenerate in a matter of seconds."

"In a minute." Howard muttered.

"Well, how can we stop them?" I asked, my voice showing panic.

"That is exactly the problem. You don't."

–

I sat back in my chair and reflected on what I had learned. In a minute I had discovered that the city could blow up at any second and that the Minutemen were invincible Stalkers. The only way to escape both situations intact would be to leave the city as fast as possible.

"What's the fastest way out of the city?" I asked to Louie and Howard.

"Flying." They both answered.

"It'll be impossible to get a hold of enough dropships. What about a train?" I asked.

"The Combine have a tight grip on all the trains going in and out of the city. My guess is if you try to make a break for the trains, they'll have you by your balls in a second." Louie answered.

"What about trains the Combine don't control? You know, the ones they're maintaining or the ones they lock up in a depot because they don't need them."

"Still, Barney, if you managed to get inside one of these 'under the radar' trains, you'd have to figure out the rail network and I know that at some point the Combine will catch on and come after you."

"May I cut in?" A voice on the radio spoke again.

"Doc? I thought you hung up. But yeah, go ahead."

"The Combine are just as alert to the situation as we are. Their priorities are nearly the same as ours. I imagine that they are currently evacuating the Advisors from the Citadel. Wherever their escape pods crash, there the Combine will flock. If they try to hinder your progress, the attempt will most likely be a backhanded, last-ditch effort which, if you cooperate with the resistance, can be powered through with relative ease. Simply put, the maximum force they can put against you is, for the first time, less than the force you can use against them. As we speak, hundreds of troops are evacuating to a planned Advisor crash site, far from the city limits."

"So what should we do?"

"I will attempt to find a usable train. In the meantime, you must decide on a safe house to shelter the resistance until I find something. Remember, Barney, time is of the utmost!" The radio faded to static.

"So...what do you think?" Howard asked cautiously.

"I think we need to start looking." I said. I stood up and examined the map in the wall. "Are these railroads?" I pointed to small train tracks leading away from the city.

"So these are the train stations," I said, indicating the small squares at the origin of the track. "If the railroads are concentrated around this area, chances are that the Doc will find something here."

"Whoa, look who decided to be tactical all of a sudden!" Louie quipped. I ignored him and continued thinking out loud.

"If these are the depots and railroad stations, then any building in this area should have easy access to the tracks."

"Um, this is Point Omega, right by Saint Josephine's. It looks like it's in that 'easy access' area." Howard pointed out a lambda symbol across the street from a reputable hospital from before the war. Saint Josephine's Pediatric Hospital was the first hospital to receive patients by train from far-off cities. Unfortunately, the Combine had raided it and left it to rot about a month after the war.

"Great. Point Omega's the safe house." As soon as I decided, one of the door guards ran into the room breathlessly.

"What is it, Gibson?" Howard asked.

"A scanner just passed by! We shot it down, but it snapped a photo just before."

"Oh, good. I was just getting used to this place." Louie said.

"What happens now?" I turned to Howard.

"We haul ass out of here. Louie, pack up the armory. Gibson, go with Donny, Griggs, and Sheckley to Point Omega. I'll pack this place up with Barney and get the message out. Let's go!" Louie and Gibson ran out of the room. "Barney, tear the map down and burn it. Here's a lighter."

"Do what now?"

"Burn the map so the Combine don't find the other points!"

"Oh, sorry." I tore the map from the wall and crumpled it into a ball, tossed it out into the stone hallway, and ignited it.

"Point Charlie to whomever it may concern. We have been sighted by a scanner and we are evacuating. Repeat, Point Charlie is evacuating." Howard finished the transmission, pulled the AR2 from his back, and shot the radio multiple times so that it was broken beyond repair. "Okay, let's get out of here!"

We frantically climbed back up the ladder into the kitchen of the townhome, and ran out to the car. Once we were seated, Louie lumbered out from the house carrying a massive duffel bag on his shoulder. He came around to the back of the car and dropped the duffel bag into the trunk. He came back around and threw open the driver's side door.

"Where to, boss?" He turned to face Howard.

"Point Omega, and step on it!"

"The one by Saint-"

"Yes! The one by Saint Josephine's Pediatric Hospital! Let's go already!" Louie started the car, and we sped off toward Point Omega. We didn't yet know of the unfortunate fate it had suffered hours before.


	3. Mistakes Are Not an Option

When I had first arrived in City 17, the Combine kept every street spotless and every crucial function of the city somewhat intact. As we drove past the burning homes and crumbled overpasses, it was obvious that the Combine were losing the fight, at least for the moment. Despite the empty streets, Howard still watched the rooftops through the sights of his rifle.

"Here's the hospital," Louie said as he released the gas pedal.

"Omega's inside a courtyard across the street. Stop there." Howard pointed to an apartment complex entrance facing the hospital. Louie ran into the wall as lightly as he could, and we stepped out. A makeshift bridge stretched from the third floor of the hospital to the third floor of the apartments. Louie explained that the rebels at Point Omega would often raid the hospital for medical supplies the Combine might have missed.

The entrance to the complex was unlocked, so we were easily able to access the inner courtyard. "Look for a sturdy door." Howard instructed.

In the corner of the courtyard was a metal door with a peephole. "That must be it," I said. Howard approached the door and gave it three solid knocks.

"Anyone in there?" he yelled. "Hello?"

I scanned the courtyard and figured out why there was no answer. "Oh no. Look there." I pointed halfway up the building Omega was situated in. There was a gaping hole in the wall.

"They got shelled. Those shits got shelled. Well, that's fucking terrific." Howard muttered. He kicked the door angrily. Suddenly, the slat covering the peephole on the door slid open. A frightened pair of eyes stared out at us. Before we could identify ourselves, the slat slid shut and the door flew open. A scared looking rebel stared at us.

"Thank god, someone is in here. Where are the others?" I asked the rebel. He opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. "You okay?"

He shook his head and suddenly fell backwards. As he hit the ground, a wooden stick stabbed through his stomach.

"Holy- Louie, get a medkit from the car!" I yelled. I bent down and gently flipped the man over.

"What the hell..." Howard was as stunned as I was. Someone, or rather some_thing_ had skewered the man with a chair leg.

"He's...he's dead already, just... just get him out of here." I stuttered. Howard nodded and dragged the dead rebel out into the courtyard. Louie returned, taking labored breaths.

"I got the- oh." Louie put the medkit back into his coat upon seeing the body.

"Come on, we don't have time. Omega is on the top floor of this building, let's go." We cautiously stepped over the dead rebel and flipped on the light on the ground floor. Considering the scene we had just observed, the building was oddly silent.

We made our way to the darkened stairwell. I felt around for a light switch, but found nothing. Forced to push on in the darkness, we cautiously ascended. Each step we took made the stairs creak. As we arrived at the first floor, the silence was nearly deafening. We pushed past the fear that gnawed at our brains and came to the top floor. A metal door similar to the entrance door was illuminated by a skylight.

"Stand back and keep your rifles ready," I commanded Louie and Howard. I approached the door and knocked cautiously.

The slat on the door flew open and I found myself staring down the barrel of a pistol. A gruff voice bellowed, "I WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN FIVE SECONDS OR I'LL PUMP YOU FULLA LEAD!"

I stumbled over my words as I said, "Uh, Barney Calhoun. And I have two friends with me."

There was a pause. "You...you guys are rebels?"

"Yeah, now let us in!" Howard commanded.

"What's the password?" The man didn't sound very reassured after our identification.

I panicked and turned to the two men. "What password?" I whispered frantically.

Louie started muttering to himself. "Since when did they start using passwords? There is no password! I mean, I never heard-"

Suddenly, the door unlocked and opened. A muscular man nearly as built as Louie grinned back at us.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding. The password is 'there is no password'?" Howard was visibly peeved.

"Let's get inside and _then_ we can exchange pleasantries. We still have no clue what's on the other levels of this building," I urged the men.

Once we were all inside the safe house, the man slammed the door, slid three deadbolts into place, and placed a chair beneath the doorknob.

An awkward moment of silence followed until I offered my hand. "Barney Calhoun. I came here to organize a way for rebels to get on a train out of the city."

"Huh. That's quite an introduction you've got there. The name's Duke." He shook my hand and nearly crushed it in the process.

"What do you do here?"

"Well, _we_ used to raid the hospital 'cross the street for supplies until the risk outweighed the reward and 'til 'we' turned into 'me'."

"Yeah, what happened here?" Howard asked.

"Long story short...ah, screw it, there is no long story. The rest of the guys at Point Omega were exploring the other floors here when the Combine shelled us. They didn't come back."

"Well, whatever you were doing now, you have a new objective. Dr. Kleiner is going to direct all rebels who are able to come here to this point once I radio him the coordinates. I want you to find some more people to help keep this place well guarded. It's likely we'll have some high-value targets passing through here to get to the trains. Eli, Doc Kleiner, you know. I want this place locked up tighter than Fort Knox."

"Fort huh?"

"Never mind. Just get out there and help us out. I'm gonna contact the doc. Howard, Louie, go help him." None of the three men protested as I barked out commands. They left and descended the stairs. I shut the door behind them and examined the amenities of our new home. A small briefing area with chairs and a map of the city was situated in one corner, while a large kitchen sat in the other. There was a seemingly functioning radio on a table as well. However, the most noticeable aspect of this safe house was a drawbridge that connected two parts of the apartment complex. It was currently up, held in place with a crowbar. Once I was done surveying the area, I began to scan radio frequencies for Dr. Kleiner. As soon as he responded, I didn't let him finish saying, "This is Dr. Kleiner, please identify yourself."

"Doc! We found a place to hole up, it's point Omega, across from the children's hospital!"

"Barney, lower your voice. I can hear you perfectly."

"We found a place to hole up. It's-"

"Yes, yes, I heard you the first time. And your choice couldn't be more perfect; the best train route from the city originates from the hospital's emergency response train station. If the voyage is successful, the train will arrive in an abandoned station about twenty miles from White Forest Base."

"What's-"

"What is White Forest? Before the war it served as a rocket silo for the Soviet Union and subsequently Russia."

"What is it now?"

"Now it is simply a rocket silo for whoever takes control of it. We believe it has lain abandoned yet secure for decades. Eli, myself, and one of my colleagues whom you have not yet met have been discussing a way to end the Combine's grip on the Earth for good. The Russian military left some very valuable technology locked inside White Forest's depths before the war. When the Citadel's core collapses, and mark my words, it _will_, a giant portal will open and allow the Combine to once again assault the Earth in larger numbers. Eli put it quite aptly when he said, 'It will be like the Seven Hour War all over again. Except this time we won't last seven minutes.'"

"Didn't Alyx and Gordon get to the core and stabilize it?"

"They did, Barney, but it is only a temporary solution. Think of it as sealing a leaking pipe with scotch tape."

"So our plan still stands. Get the fuck out as soon as possible."

"There are better ways to phrase it, but yes, you are correct. I will notify the others of this new safehouse. But please, Barney, make sure it remains a _safe_ safehouse. We cannot afford any snafus now."

"Understood, Doc. I'll plot a route to the trains and make sure you get there in one piece." I ended the conversation by switching off the radio.

It was barely an hour until I heard frantic knocking on the door. "It's Duke!"

I slid open the peephole. "What's wrong?"

"EVERYTHING! The Combine, they- they're on the street outside the complex!"

"Shit. Do they know we're here?" I remembered Dr. Kleiner's warning of mistakes.

"No, they're just passing through and they found us three. We radioed for backup from the other points and bases, and they should be here soon!"

"How many are there?"

"Around twenty, but who knows how many they called in for their own backup."

"Do NOT let them find us here. Concentrate in a different area so they think we're based out of some other building. I'll stay here and wait for any rebels that hear the doc's directions. Get back out there, dammit, or we're all done for!"

"Yes, sir!" Duke rushed back out of the safe house and I slammed the door behind him. I could do nothing more than listen to the gunfire and hope for the best.


End file.
